Re: A few thoughts still on chaos

From: Simon Phipp <soltakss_at_NHbwGhT-cKmbXwkX2sH8-ek43HoItZiEQhoAL0CPmro6KfVQofuaji0_qsTOgFiJmur>
Date: Sun, 08 Jul 2007 17:30:32 -0000

Peter Metcalfe:
> >An odaylan devotee captures a magnificient stag, parhaps twice as
> >large as a normal one, and eats it heart. The stag happened to be
> >tainted with chaos, and as a result the hunter grows stag's horns
from
> >his forehead.
>
> Merely eating something tainted with chaos does not confer
> a chaotic feature. Eating something that is chaotic may
> confer a chaotic feature but the odds of doing so are so small
> as to be comparable to getting mad cow disease.

Unless, of course, the Odaylan eats the stag heart to capture some of its strength, in which case some Cahoticness may well transfer.

> >Now we know that a tainted individual will know about it, but the
rest
> >of his community doesn't automatically. What if the poor tainted
> >hunter manages to convince people that the horns are a blessing
from
> >Odayla, and become a holy figure?
>
> The Gods say otherwise and inflict divine wrath (cf Thunder
> Rebels p78-79). This falls primarily on the community until the
> Godis call the gods and find out. Then to remove the curse,
> they summon the agents of reprisal against the Odaylan.

Sounds reasonable, assuming the gods are all-knowing. I would say that they would not realise he was chaotic until he started doing chaotic things in secret. Then they might send vague dreams to people to act.

I can't see the gods automatically knowing that a worshipper is chaotic.

> >Does this happen? Does the odaylan's magic, and his relation to his
> >deity continue to work normally?
>
> If he has become chaotic then he has lost whatever connection
> he has with Odayla or any other gods of the Storm Tribe (there
> is an exception in the case of Nysaloran Illumination). Hence
> his divine magic won't work.

I would definitely disagree with this.

Once people realise he is chaotic, then he would lose any Relationship he had with the cult. He may even lose his Feats, but would still keep any Affinities he had. In old RQ terms, his Divine magic would become one-use. In RQM he might not get his Dedicated POW back once he casts the spell.

But there are enough examples in published sources of good cultists becoming chaotic in secret and staying in their cult to oppose the idea of immediately losing all magic and all contact with the deity.

See Ya

Simon

>
> --Peter Metcalfe
>